Manchester and United Synagogue Beth Din leaders explore ‘joint relationship’

The objective was for “any joint relationship to operate for the benefit and achdus [unity] of UK Jewry in general and specifically to secure the long-term future of our 125-year-plus presence in Manchester”.

It was “of crucial importance to preserve a financially stable, autonomous beth din dedicated to the second largest and fastest-growing Jewish community in the UK”, they stated.

They stressed that “the halachic independence of the Manchester Beth Din and the autonomy of Manchester’s shuls would not be compromised by any proposed structures”. The LBD operates the KLBD kosher label; the MBD supervises the MK label. United Synagogue president Michael Goldstein anticipated “continuing discussions”.

The Manchester rabbis put their names to a letter opposing “any merger of the Manchester Beth Din and the United Synagogue or any other organisation”. Signatories included Rabbi Joel Portnoy of Hale and District Hebrew Congregation and Rabbi Yossi Chazan of Holy Law South Broughton Congregation. But one name absent from the letter was Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag of Whitefield Hebrew Congregation.

The JC understands a meeting has since taken place with the MBD at which the rabbis were put more clearly in the picture.